photographed. Once when I was in college, a photographer said to me 'give me a gorgeous look!' I stuck my hip out, raised one eyebrow, and gave two thumbs up -- who does that?! I've always promised myself to put others at ease behind the camera and I pose all clients from their toes to their eyelashes for every single shot. For those of you that may interpret 'gorgeous' on the fly as two thumbs up, you're welcome! My husband and I are passionate about sustainable community development in third world countries. A minimum of 10% of all Em Grey Photography profits go to Lemonade International, an organization that runs schools, builds micro-finance initiatives, and transforms the lives of those living in the largest ghetto in Central America. I feel so grateful to be able to live out my extraordinary. This is my life's work. Thanks for being a part of it! For more about me, the best places to eat in Raleigh, tips on how to pack light, the best wine trail in Argentina, biking through rice fields in Bali, and my daily mis-adventures, sign up for my monthly newsletter here!

I grew up with a camera always in my hand but my story of capturing extraordinary starts in the summer of 2007. I clicked away on my camera as I made motions encouraging her to be girly and fabulous with her friends -- hands on hip, big smile, eyes to me! I showed her the back of my camera and she gasped and flashed a huge smile with tears starting to form in her eyes.At that moment I realized she had never seen a photograph of herself in her whole life. I was standing in the middle of nowhere in Swaziland, Africa when I realized the power I held in my hands. I have the privilege of witnessing similar reactions in my studio today. We all fall short of easily seeing our true beauty and ability to captivate others. A year after my Africa trip, my job with a Swiss Investment Bank for which I still work part-time took me to London for a year. Not knowing a soul, I signed up for classes through the London School of Photography in an attempt to keep myself busy. I fell in love with the artistry but most of all the positive effect my work could have on others. I have yet to meet anyone that is confident behind a camera while being